Chapter 20

It's Sunday morning, it's usually quiet and peaceful, these two new love birds are over themselves even with the treats roaming round their lives, Fred was sitting at the dining table after eating lunch probably chatting with Isabella and some couple of friends, whosoever he was chatting with on phone must be very funny because he could not hold himself but laugh out very loud, he seems to be enjoying his company. On the other hand, Annie was cleaning the dishes, singing on top of her voice, alongside the Celine Dion song playing from the soundbar in the living room

She seemed so excited that she had forgotten about Matthew in a hurry, after cleaning the dishes, she decided to take out the garbage to dump them in the trash can outside where the trash collectors usually pick them up. After dumping the garbage she noticed a black strange SUV, parked just before her entrance, she squinches her eyes if she could recognize the men sitting inside. One of them opened the boor of the SUV and stepped out, these made her petrified.

She could not recognize the man who was already making her way to her, she quickly screamed

"Fred! Fred!!" But he was busy with his phone and the volume from the soundbar was too high that he could not hear any sound coming from outside, she quickly summons the courage to run inside but it was already too late before she could open the door, the man who is 6ft tall with broad shoulders and bald with tattoos on his face gripped her, she tried to struggle but her strength was no match for him.

He pulled her by her hair and threw her down from the entrance, she scrapped her palm as she hits the ground, she tried to get up and fight back but the unknown man kicked her in the stomach, she felt pain and he was enjoying watching her cry out louder, but no help was coming the unknown man was laughing devilishly, walking towards her, he brought out a little switchblade from his blue suit she tried crawling away from his reach, she had no strength to fight back

She could no longer scream, there was a gunshot and she could not hear him laughing again, all she heard was the engine of a car drifting away she turned back and saw the unknown man dead with a bullet to his head, Annie was frightened.

"Are you ok?" Fred asked trying to pull her up, she was badly hurt, he took her inside with the gun still in his hand

Fred quickly calls Cherry explaining what happened few hours after she had left his apartment. Without delay Cherry and her team head back to Freds apartment being accompanied by the emergency medical team and state police officers. The interrogation was going on when Alex drove down, Fred had called him earlier

Annie immediately stood up as if she is not feeling any pain, went to the fridge to collect some liquor

"What's up man, who busted your finger," Alex asked with a clueless face and frown

Fred had gotten an injury for the trigger he pulled (recoil)

"Some nigger came here to attack Annie, I don't know for sure who he was and why. Some days back I got a dead treat message from an unknown individual and things are getting all messed up around here" looking exhausted Fred tried to explain everything to his best friend, he could no longer keep it a secret from him.

The police stayed for a while and after gathering all the information they needed, blood samples, hair samples, etc they left

Leaving Annie, Fred, and Alex,

"So you think your ex-husband is behind all of this?"

"Yes....am very sure he is, who else would want to do this" Annie said confidentially

"I hope the police gets him" Fred muttered

"How did you get a gun?" Alex asked turning to Fred

"Yes where did you get the gun from, I never thought you would have a firearm" Annie added

"Well that's not the issue here, it was a registered gun and I used it in self-defense, I have made my reports and I don't think anyone would blame me for defending myself " he tries to shy away from the question not wanting to give them any clue how he got the gun he used

Annie gave him a narrow eye look "are you going to tell us or you don't want to talk about it?"

He stayed quiet for a while and then said "Alex, you have known me all my life, do you remember if I had hurt anyone back in school days?"

"No, I can't remember anything, or anytime where you treated anyone poorly, you have always been honest like your father and that's a good thing, by the way, is mom aware of all of this?"

"I don't intend telling her, she is hypertensive

Even with her recent issues with hypertension, she continued to eat and drink things that would raise her blood pressure. And please I don't what you to say this outside, the police are already on the case and am sure they will find the man tormenting myself and Annie" Fred was very strict about his warnings to Alex.

The last time, his mom almost lost her life when a drunk driver hit her car, she passed out instantly, it was a little scratch.

Hypertension is a thing in her family and Josephine got it too she was diagnosed with hypertension, she was forced to take a leave of absence from her teaching job until her blood pressure was under control due to her pregnancy

It will be risky to tell either of them, maybe he is going to tell them but that will be after the police must have apprehended the suspect

"I would be taking my leave now, I have a date with my girlfriend, you guys should stay safe and keep me informed " Alex stood up and left

"Will you be going on the date you told me about? "

"I don't think so, I would text her to reschedule. I can't go out knowing I shot somebody don't get me wrong am not in shock but not in the right frame of mind right now"

The weather is cloudy and soon it will rain

Fred is holding a glass of vodka listening to the news if there will be any report from what happened earlier.

Annie was well seated with bruises on her face and hands but she seems to be alright

"I wonder why he is doing all of these"

"yea, maybe he still loves you just maybe" fred replied pouring another shot in his glass